While much has been made of the potential of Steve Finn, Middlesex have another promising young fast bowler in Danny Evans. A year older than Finn, the Hartlepool-born Evans, 20, is also 6ft 5in, gets disconcerting bounce and hits the bat hard. A maiden five-wicket haul yesterday in his first Championship appearance of the season changed the course of Essex's innings on an eventful day when 16 wickets fell.

Essex were going well at 125 for two when Ed Smith, having given Evans only four of the 39 overs bowled, recalled him. With his third ball, Evans took the key wicket of Jason Gallian, who had played the most convincing innings of the match. Drawn forward, Gallian nicked one that left him. In his next over, Evans produced another good leg cutter that Mark Pettini edged to second slip. After a probing six-over spell, he returned to take four more wickets in only 22 balls. James Foster top-edged a pull, James Middlebrook was bowled by a trimmer and the tail cleaned up.

Vernon Philander also did a good job for Middlesex. The South African all-rounder, not dissimilar to a young Mark Alleyne, parted the opening pair with his loosener, an inswinger that beat Alastair Cook's forward prod. Philander then took a second wicket in his opening over when he found Varun Chopra's edge with a full-length outswinger.

On a pitch of greenish hue and good carry that kept the seam bowlers interested throughout, Philander nipped the ball about at brisk medium. His third victim, Tom Westley, was well taken at first slip after playing some excellent leg-side shots in a mature 118-ball fifty.

As many as nine wickets fell after tea, Essex losing their last six in only 12 overs. Middlesex were left with an awkward ten overs to get through before stumps, and could not cope with some well-directed aggression from Andre Nel, who ran in hard and bowled with genuine pace. Andrew Strauss was the first of three wickets in the space of six balls for the South Africa fast bowler, being well caught at first slip. Shaun Udal was out first ball to a snorter and Smith was likewise confounded by Nel's lift, being athletically caught by Foster running back.

Scoreboard

Middlesex: First Innings (overnight 263-7)

V D Philander lbw b Ten Doeschate 30

S D Udal c Pettini b Nel 17

S T Finn not out 8

D Evans b Ten Doeschate 9

Extras (b 5, lb 6, w 5, nb 12) 28

Total (107.5 overs) 302

Fall of wickets: 1-85, 2-89, 3-192, 4-222, 5-229, 6-243, 7-255, 8-285, 9-285.

Bowling: Nel 31-7-76-1; Palladino 13-4-34-0; Wright 9-2-36-0; Middlebrook 33-11-69-5; Ten Doeschate 20.5-3-75-4; Westley 1-0-1-0.

Second Innings

A J Strauss c Gallian b Nel 12

B A Godleman not out 7

S D Udal c Middlebrook b Nel 0

*E T Smith c Foster b Nel 0

E C Joyce not out 0

Total (3 wkts, 10 overs) 19

Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-18, 3-18.

Bowling: Nel 5-1-8-3; Palladino 3-0-10-0; Ten Doeschate 2-1-1-0.

Essex: First Innings

J E R Gallian c Nash b Evans 56

A N Cook lbw b Philander 25

V Chopra c Nash b Philander 10

T Westley c Strauss b Philander 60

*M L Pettini c Morgan b Evans 0

R N ten Doeschate b Murtagh 23

J S Foster c Philander b Evans 5

J D Middlebrook b Evans 8

C J C Wright lbw b Evans 4

A P Palladino not out 5

A Nel b Evans 4

Extras (b 1, lb 2, nb 4) 7

Total (69.4 overs) 207

Fall of wickets: 1-43, 2-53, 3-125, 4-129, 5-180, 6-186, 7-194, 8-194, 9-201.

Bowling: Murtagh 19-6-53-1; Finn 12-1-48-0; Philander 16-3-45-3; Evans 14.4-6-35-6; Udal 8-2-23-0.

Umpires: B Dudleston and V A Holder.

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